


An Angry Blade

by slagsmacker



Category: Winter's Bone (2010)
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-02-03
Updated: 2011-02-03
Packaged: 2017-10-15 08:33:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/158995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/slagsmacker/pseuds/slagsmacker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>'You're an angry blade, and you're brave but you're all alone.'</p>
            </blockquote>





	An Angry Blade

**Author's Note:**

> Title and cut text from and Iron and Wine song. I haven't read the book, so this is movie based.

The next time Ree sees Gail she is struggling up their stairs, looking for all the world like she needs a home. The baby is resting low on her hip and she has a cut near her mouth to match Ree’s own.

Ree is kinda tired of asking questions, but she wants to know what gives the Williams men the right to knock their women about,

“What happened to you darlin’?”

“Floyd found out about the truck,” Gail shrugs, “don’t suppose I can rest here tonight?”

Ree opens the door wide. Gail enters and their bodies brush together in the small space. They are eye to eye, leaning into each other. They both smile.

Gail has a piece of curly hair twisted into the clot forming on her lip.

***

It takes Gail so long to get the baby to stop wailing, that Ree has almost slipped into sleep when the mattress dips and she joins her in bed. Turning towards comfort and warmth, their bodies fit together in a pattern memorized since childhood. Gail is restless though, not ready let Ree drift.

“So sweet pea, did you find your Daddy’s bones?”

Ree ignores the urge to tell, and turns her face towards the rhythmic pulse beating in Gail’s neck. Gail is undeterred, and deliberately places a cold foot on the back of Ree’s calf to rock her awake. For a second Ree wants to act like a child and slap her in the ribs until she leaves her alone. Then she remembers what landed Gail here in the first place.

“I know you can hear me, did you find your Daddy’s bones?”

Ree sighs,

“I found something alright- it’s better off that you don’t know any particulars.”

There is silence for a while and Ree thinks that is that. Then Gail shifts closer,

“Were you scared?”

Ree opens her eyes, Gail’s face is opaque. Ree wonders why she needs to know. She considers lying, but she is bone weary of being strong for everyone else’s benefit.

“I was so scared I was shaking, my heart was going so hard I thought my chest was gonna split wide open. Remember that time we stole those huntin’ guns and I was so terrified, I was sick? I swear to Jesus Gail, it was worse than that.”

“Doesn’t matter, in the end you were brave and took no shit of your own.”

Gail sounds wistful. Ree grabs her chin between her forefinger and thumb and brings her so close that their breath warms the other’s mouth. She whispers,

“I just wanted to keep my family together.” and punctuates her meaning with a kiss.

The kiss is meant to be light, sisterly, but it transforms into something else almost immediately. Ree’s injured mouth hurts, and she can’t imagine Gail’s feels much better, but their lips press together hard, moving aggressively against the dull ache of their bruises. Ree wonders how far this can possibly go. The last time they were stupid, silly girls. Now Gail is a young mountain wife, and she has a dead Daddy and a family to feed.

As if sensing Ree’s reluctance, Gail takes one palm and places it firmly against her breast. For a second all Ree can see are dead, bloated fingers lying against a check shirt; then Gail’s nipple hardens and the blood rushes from her head, into her hand, then lower. Ree moves her tingling fingers back and forward, back and forward, trying to forget anything but the friction between them.

Their legs are criss-crossed and shifting restlessly.

Ree is surprised when Gail places Ree’s other hand inside her panties. That last time, Ree was timid but, in the end, she had wanted it more. Now Gail is flicking her tongue in and out of Ree’s mouth and digging her nails into her wrist, guiding her with purpose.

Ree moves into Gail’s moist folds. She is wet, warmer than the lake, and Ree’s fingers enter her effortlessly. Gail shifts her hips until the heel of Ree’s palm rises against her clit with every thrust and flex. Their position is becoming suffocating, Ree’s hand is beginning to cramp, but she keeps going with determination. She thinks they have both learnt something about life in the last few years.

When Gail comes she is quiet, but defiant in her pleasure. Ree knows they are done, there is a difference between being brave and cheatin’, so she rolls away and slips a damp hand into her own shorts. She strokes herself to the beat of Gail’s still shuddering breath and imagines broken oars cutting through dark water.

***

The next morning the mountain air is freezing. Gail says,

“I gotta go home sweet pea,”

Ree thinks her face looks worse in the pale light but replies,

“ I know darlin’ ”

She scuffs the heel of her Daddy’s boot against the doorway of her house and, she is angry, but she understands.


End file.
